Post by pondo ROCKS on Jun 10, 2013 15:07:42 GMT -5

Providing an outlet and a voice for music lovers to unite under the common theme of music for all. Join The Pondo Army to show your allegiance to musical freedom! Fighting for no censorship of the arts & music education in schools, The Pondo Army will triumph! The Pondo Army Movement
Follow me on twitter@Pondoknowsbest

Post by Leo on Jun 10, 2013 22:29:16 GMT -5

Yeah, it looks like it could get soupy this time around. Trying to decide if I want to break out the hiking boots or just go muddy w/ the 5 fingers. Just to be disgusting share my important feelings, I still have nail fungus from a certain muddy festival 19 years ago. Take care of your feet!

Post by pondo ROCKS on Jun 11, 2013 6:47:13 GMT -5

Providing an outlet and a voice for music lovers to unite under the common theme of music for all. Join The Pondo Army to show your allegiance to musical freedom! Fighting for no censorship of the arts & music education in schools, The Pondo Army will triumph! The Pondo Army Movement
Follow me on twitter@Pondoknowsbest

Post by bonzai on Jun 24, 2013 9:33:45 GMT -5

I mentioned somewhere in this thread that last year I discovered Sanuk Yoga Mat flips and it changed my festival going experience. I wore them day and night through 6 festivals last year and not once at a problem (and through my first two fests this year). Somehow between security check and parking, I lost one of my flips and my wallet (yeah.. I know). Luckily, I come prepared and I had my Sanuk Carpe DMs and my birks (and rain boots), so I wasn't shoeless. I wore my Birks for two days which were too hard and ended up cutting the top of my feet. Then I switched to my DMs which were generally comfortable, but the soles were just not soft enough. Twice, I gave up awesome spots in a tent on Saturday because I just couldn't stand in them any longer. I already knew (and preached) the awesomeness of yoga mat flips.. but this reinforced it.

Post by memphis1979 on Jul 3, 2013 6:35:40 GMT -5

edit: just make sure not to machine-dry them, that's a big no-no apparently

These shoes aren't great for everyone.

Unfortunately my grandmother and father deemed it necessary to cram my wide/long feet into traditional shoes until I got much older. My pinky toe grows under the one onext to it. I read that many people have this problem

If, like me, you are tired of telling people that the vibrams don't fit you, only to hear "oh you just need to break them in". This post is for you. Five finger, 4 finger, skeletoes, whatever are fine, no frills shoes that are very light. Doesn't mean every human can wear them.

I did wear my vibrams, killing my pinky toe for 3 months, I don't think it'd be a good bonnaroo shoe the style I had, because they were kangaroo leather, just didnt do well in water and mud.

Post by redeyesteve27 on Jul 3, 2013 9:39:32 GMT -5

The wife bought me a pair of Teva sandals the Monday before we left. I fully expected to try and wear them the first day and not be able to wear them again due to a strap rubbing a blister somewhere. I mean, what kind of new strapy sandal doesn't rub a blister somewhere initially? The answer is Tevas. I didn't even put them on my feet once until Wednesday night sitting in Ace Ventura. I didn't wear another shoe the entire weekend. Those bad boys were awesome. My feet didn't hurt me once.

Post by FuzzyWarbles on Jul 3, 2013 9:40:52 GMT -5

What you got back home, little sister, to play your fuzzy warbles on? I bet you got little save pitiful, portable picnic players. Come with uncle and hear all proper! Hear angel trumpets and devil trombones. You are invited.

Post by Ellie on Aug 7, 2013 10:00:08 GMT -5

Those of you subscribed to Zulily, there are a bunch of Keen shoes and socks on sale today. You still pay shipping on top of it, so 6pm.com may still come out cheaper if all you want are the Keens. I was looking at Keen kids and some were $20-25. Got me excited, hehe.

Post by disco on Dec 3, 2013 23:22:13 GMT -5

I bring at least 3 TYPES of shoes...in 2006 I told a first timer friend of mine to bring 3 PAIRS of shoes...she showed up with three pair of flip flops!...she was forced to barefoot (i know some of y`all dig that) for the last 1.5 days. My point is be prepared for any terrain event. At some point it will be hot, rainy, sweaty, cold, mud pit, toes stepped on, comfy, whatever that is next to the port a john, dusty shoe kind of day.

In my experience flip flops are the most useless type of footwear for Roo...yes they are nice around the camp and great for chilling. But the reality is that you walk miles a day through 'hostile' terrain. As far as sandals go I recommend something that will stay attached to your foot (teva, chaco, anything with a strap on heel). I have seen hundreds of blown out/stuck in mud flip flops in my years at Roo...if they do not break or get stuck in mud they cause the person to fall on arse in a slick area...trust me...you don't want to fall into a "slick area" near a port a john.

Sneakers/Tennis/Running/ETC shoes are fantastic for the most part. Great on your feet for walking and dancing all day and night. I think it goes without saying that you should be prepared to depart with these sneakers after Roo if it comes to it. If there is no rain or extreme muddyness this type works well. My personal favorite for this type is leather adidas soccer shoes or leather puma...but my name is Paul and that is up to y`all.

Boots are the most important TYPE of shoe...if all goes well you may not even need them...but i guarantee that at some point over a 4 day festival in Tennessee you will wish you had some. I actually bring two types of boots...hiking and mud. Hiking boots are great, yes they can be hot but I can take them off when I get to my 'spot' for a show if need...but when I walk up to a Port A John area and everyone is squealing and complaining ...i walk right through that 'mud' and don't blink an eye. It gets mad funky around those port a john areas especially of it rains (which it will at some point). I also bring rubber mud boots...often times never used them...but when the "mud" hits the fan there is nothing better.

Post by bejeezus on Jan 16, 2014 1:44:50 GMT -5

Is it too early to start thinking about apparel for this year? I wore a pair of Merrill trail running shoes all weekend last year & they were amazing (especially after wearing cheap Old Navy flip flops in '12). Comfy, not too heavy/hot, good traction in the mud, enough protection over rocks... I wore my Sanuks to Outside Lands, but the terrain there is much more forgiving. I think I'll stick with Merrill this year, myself.

Anyone have advice for if we get a lot of rain, though? I feel like it hasn't rained all that much these past 2 years, & not sure if I should pack anything else in the event of more than I've seen so far. Are rain boots really necessary? Will my Merrills do the trick?

Post by beavdog151 on Jan 16, 2014 2:28:37 GMT -5

I feel it's best to have a few options although I mostly wear my Clarks flip-flops, they're about $50 and I've had them for at least 4 years now. I wore them the entire 2013 Bonnaroo from Wednesday-Sunday and never had an issue.

Post by yougoghoul on Jan 16, 2014 9:54:08 GMT -5

Is it too early to start thinking about apparel for this year? I wore a pair of Merrill trail running shoes all weekend last year & they were amazing (especially after wearing cheap Old Navy flip flops in '12). Comfy, not too heavy/hot, good traction in the mud, enough protection over rocks... I wore my Sanuks to Outside Lands, but the terrain there is much more forgiving. I think I'll stick with Merrill this year, myself.

Anyone have advice for if we get a lot of rain, though? I feel like it hasn't rained all that much these past 2 years, & not sure if I should pack anything else in the event of more than I've seen so far. Are rain boots really necessary? Will my Merrills do the trick?

I ALWAYS pack a pair of rain boots in my trunk just in case!! My thought - better safe than sorry! They really don't take up that much room. BUT I'm not a Merrill wearer so I wouldn't know 100%

Post by J on Jan 28, 2014 11:56:12 GMT -5

I wore Brooks running shoes last year and my feet were covered in huge blisters by the end of the week. It was awful! I couldn't walk worth a shit unless I was drunk or otherwise unaware of the pain.

I love my brooks. I've had one pair for 7 years ( Adrenaline GTS 7) and the still hold up great. And my brooks Beasts are going on 6 years, but I am going to have to get a new pair soon as I have worn the far out of them.

Post by uvajed on Feb 7, 2014 0:35:39 GMT -5

I alternate between Sanuk's and comfortable running shoes, with socks, and - knock on wood - I haven't had any feet troubles in my multiple trips to the farm.

Good call. Last year I finally discovered Sanuks. I wore a pair of those and some Adidas Kanadia running shoes each about half the time, and my feet were happy, aside from having to hoof it in and out of Pod 1. I tried open-toed sandals in the past and quickly tired of all the rocks constantly sneaking under the balls of my feet. And I brought rubber muck boots in case of extreme mud and muck, but didn't wear them. I'll bring them again so I can refuse to wear them in hopes of thinking, "This isn't that bad if I don't have to wear my boots." Last year I suspect we would have wanted boots after Sunday night's rain, if everyone would still have been there.